Hanging By A Moment
by Liquid Feathers
Summary: [Booth and Brennan][One Shot] Booth becomes Tempe's knight in shining armor when she's held in a warehouse for almost 2 days


There was a gag in her mouth. It pressed against her tongue, preventing her from calling out. Her wrists were tied together, the cloth tied tightly and cutting into her flesh. Arms had been wretched above her head and hung on a metal hook. She was hanging from the ceiling suspended, her feet dangling merely inches from the ground. The captive flexed her legs, reaching down toward the cold cement floor with toes. Please, oh god please, her arms hurt so bad.

"**You miss it by inches lovely. "**

A caress on her face, feather light. It made Temperance Brennan's skin crawl. She ripped her head toward the touch. Seconds later the ragged blindfold was removed from her face. Navy blue eyes met hers. Instantly, the forensic anthropologist recoiled. That was the man Booth had introduced her to at the dinner. Booth had told her the man was a friend. Apparently Booth had been wrong. In vain, she struggled against her bonds, red hair falling into her face. She saw the smirk on the disfigured face and cringed once more.

"**Struggle all you want Dr. Brennan. You aren't going anywhere. "**

Realizing her captor was right, Tempe abruptly stopped struggling. Her arms burned and she struggled to keep the constant pain out of her face and her eyes. The anthropologist was usually so strong, so put together. But this time she was scared shitless. Sure, there'd been kidnapping before, she'd been shot at before too. But this time it was different. Booth wasn't out looking for her. Booth was in the hospital, suffering from several stabbing wounds, broken ribs and burns on his legs and torso. No FBI or Booth would come looking for her now.

The kidnapper gazed at her with an almost thoughtful expression. He seemed to be deciding her future right there and then. That bothered Tempe more then anything else. She had no control in this situation. The man was standing on a chair next to her, she could easily kick him if she's wanted to. But that would probably cause more problems then anything else. With a smirk he reached out to caress her face again. But that hand didn't stop at her face this time. It trailed down her body, touching places that it shouldn't be. Tempe struggled, kicking out against the hand. The man, almost laughed.

Reaching up, he lifted her hands up and off of the hook. He swung her down and carried her a little ways from the beam where she had been suspended. Tempe took the time to take in her surroundings. The warehouse was falling a part; glass from broken windows littered the floor, there was rust everywhere and water dripped rhythmically from the ceiling. The floors were dirty and Tempe wouldn't have been surprised if the place came tumbling in on her and her captor. He walked several paced and then unceremoniously dumped her on the floor.

She had an idea of what he was going to do, and Tempe struggled to get away from him. The man moved forward and stood over her. Tempe struggled up he kneeled down, pressing his body against her as he unzipped his pants and started to pull her own off. Temperance struggled even harder against this many who wanted to rape her and then probably kill her. As he had his way with her, he dug his nails into her bare up, causing blood to run down her pale arms and on to the already stained floor. Tempe struggled the entire time, calling out in her mind for someone to come and rescue her.

---

"**Fuck Angela! How can they not know where the hell she is?"** Booth said as he glared at Angie. The other woman shrugged her shoulders, obviously just as distraught as the FBI agent who lay in a hospital bed. Booth was in constant pain, (having declined morphine) but he didn't show it. In fact, Booth didn't show much emotion beside anger and annoyance in Angela's opinion. Booth continued to glare at her from his fixed position in the hospital bed. Angela got tired of the look he was giving her and she planted her hands on her hips and glared right back.

"**I'm just as worried as you are so don't give me that look!"**

"**Who says I'm worried?" **Booth snapped

"**Yeah.. Right.. " **Angela retorted, still glaring.

"**Angela.. " **Booth muttered through clenched teeth, **"I'm only worried that we'll never close this case if they cant find her ass. "**

Angie gave him one of the coldest looks he'd ever gotten before. **"Bastard. " **She hissed before turning and whirling out of the room.

Booth let his head fall back against the metal headboard of the hospital bed. Ok, so that had been a lie. He was worried shitless about Bones. His chocolate eyes strayed first to clothes piled on a chair and then to the door. He contemplated getting up and getting dressed. Booth contemplated going to look for Tempe himself. Those son of a bitch FBI weren't going to do anything much without him there. Booth fidgeted in the hospital bed. He was dying to get out of here and do something. Extended periods of time in one place bothered him, especially when **his **forensic anthropologist was missing.

Booth lay there for several moments, eyes staring up at the stark white ceiling. He didn't even hear Hodgins decided to make his entrance. The other man stared at Booth for a few moments before taking a deep breath. **"Booth.. They think they found the building where Tempe is.. " **Both didn't ask how the FBI knew. That question could be answered later, after Temperance was safe again. He only hoped she was still alive. After all, she'd been missing for nearly two days now. Usually after that amount of times, victims were dead. Without stopping to think, Booth three back the covers and tried to push himself out of the bed.

Surprised, Hodgins bolted forward and attempted to stop Booth. The FBI agent glared, **"It'd work better if you helped me, not tried to stop me.. "**

---

Brennan was stilled tied up and she was still hanging from a hook, by the hands. But the cable that held the huge metal hook had been lowered and she could just touch the floor with her feet now. The kidnapper had done that when he'd left her for awhile, after all he didn't want his prey suffocating on him. He was standing next to her now, one hand fondling her dirty red locks, the other holding a silver knife to her throat. His breath was hot on her face and she nearly gagged at the sour smell.

He had raped her repeatedly over the past two days. The man, who's name she didn't know had given her water but no food at all. Every time he's raped her, he'd dug his nails into a different part of her exposed skin. As a result she had blood scratched all over her body. The newest ones, on her back her still bleeding slightly. Tempe was black and blue all over and her clothes were ragged and filthy. She was actually at the point where she wanted him to kill her because she was tired of not knowing what he would do next or if she would live or not.

The man ran the blunt side of the blade along her neck in an almost thoughtful manner. **" I should kill you… you aren't any good anymore…" **He placed the blade at her throat and just as he was about to draw the blade across her scratched and gouged skin, a shot rang out and her captor crumpled to the ground. Tempe struggled a little, frantic now. Maybe someone was coming for her, maybe they were going to rescue her. Then she wondered if maybe it was someone else, another man who would do what he willed with her as well, and he would kill her as soon as he was done.

Seconds later, the door was opened violently, and it slammed into the plastered wall. Tempe braced herself for the worst, but it was a team of FBI agents that swarmed in, led by none other then Booth. He was wearing very loose jeans and a leather jacket. His chest was bear and she could see the bandages that covered burns and stabbing wounds. He walked hunched over, in obvious pain. The agent held a gun in his hand and he didn't have a vest on, for which he would be scolded later. Tempe's body sagged in relief.

Without pausing, Booth dropped his gun and hobbled over to her as fast as possible. With obvious pain, he reached up and lifted her tired, battered body off the hook and removed the gag. Tempe leaned into him, throwing her arms (still tied at the wrist) over his neck. Booth let out an 'oomph' as she sagged against him and he winced slightly. She was pushing up against his stab wounds. Tempe basically plastered herself to him and Booth patted her almost awkwardly on the shoulder.

Temperance realized how close she had come to death and it suddenly scared the shit out of her. The dehydrated, violated, bleeding woman began to shake and then started to cry silently. Booth instantly became more worried as she started to shake and cry, he knew she should be given to the paramedics but he wasn't willing to let her go yet. She clung to him, obviously afraid. **"Shh.. Bones.. It's alright.. I'm here… " **He murmured as he rocked her slightly, not realizing what he was saying or how much pain he was in. Booth wrapped his arms more tightly around her, and that's was when he felt the still warm blood on her back.

He slowly drew back as far as her tied hands around his neck would allow. He gave her a once over, as she sat basically in his lap, blinking at him. Painfully, Booth raised and arm and traced the bruises on her face. His eyes strayed to the rest of her body, the scratched all over and the blood stains on her shirt. He looked back up at her. **"Jesus Bones…" **Booth murmured. Cautiously he pulled her forward and looked over her shoulder, lifting the back of her shirt as he did so. Ugly, bleeding scratches at least 4 inches long and fairly deep met his eyes. Booth cautiously touched one, and felt Temperance wince. He dropped her shirt and held her to him entangling his hand in her red locks.

"**Jesus Bones.. " **He repeated, thicker, more emotional.

---

The apir lay side by side in hospital beds, Booth turned toward Tempe, eyes tracing her still bruised face, she in turn looked back at him.

"**Bones?" **

"**Hmmm?"**

"**If that guy hadn't died when I shot him, I would have killed him with my fucking bare hands. "**

"**Thanks Booth"**


End file.
